Fish nutrition

Question
Dear Karen,

I don't know if my question is within your area, but I will try: We read a lot about the value of eating fish because many varieties contain omega 3, but these same fish also contain cholesterol, which we are told to avoid.(Example: salmon).
So do we lose or gain by eating fish? I can't believe I am the first person who ever asked this question, but I haven't seen any answers.

Thanks.

                          Alice Kimberly  

Answer
Hi Alice,

I can understand why you are confused about this issue; there is certainly a lot of controversy over fish these days! My personal recommendation is to avoid eating a lot of fish because of high levels of contaminants (particularly mercury) that they can contain. I feel the risks of fish consumption outweigh the benefits. What I recommend is to obtain omega-3 fats from plant sources. Flax oil is an excellent source, and 1-2 tsp per day will provide you the recommended amount of omega-3's. You should not cook with flax oil (heating it to high temperatures destroys the omega-3's) but it can be used for salad dressings, added to smoothies, or added to cooked foods such as hot cereal or soup right before serving. You could also try sprinkling ground flax seed meal on hot or cold cereals or salads (1 tbsp flax seed meal provides the daily dose of omega-3's). You can find both flax oil and ground flax seed in the refrigerator section of natural or health food stores. Other good sources of omega-3's are walnuts and canola oil.

Hope that helps!

Karen

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